Technical Field
The embodiments herein relates to a personal safety device. Particularly, the embodiments herein relates to a personal safety device that can be worn by a user.
Description of Related Art
In the event of medical emergency/safety emergency or any other type of emergency when assistance is required, a person (in distress) might try to connect with healthcare professionals or law enforcement officials. Typically, a person in distress (referred to as ‘distressed person’ hereafter) would contact healthcare professionals/law enforcement officials by making a conventional phone call. However, in certain situations, the distressed person might not be able to place a conventional telephone call. For example, the distressed person may be suffering from a heart condition that may render him incapable of making a conventional phone call directed to the concerned authorities by the way of dialing a pre-designated number, or otherwise, the distressed person may have been under an attack, which could typically prevent him from making a conventional phone call directed to the concerned authorities. Subsequently, emergency help systems that would enable a person to ask for help with the push of a button came into being. Such emergency systems enable a distressed person to get in touch with an intermediate call center/response center which typically would gather preliminary information from the distressed person and thereafter connect the distressed person with the concerned authorities. This phenomenon might result in loss of crucial time, the loss which might be catastrophic for a person already in distress.
Certain emergency response systems are tethered, preferably using a wireless communication medium to a base unit which would enable the distressed person to get in touch with concerned authorities in case of an emergency. Typically, the emergency response system tethered to the base unit is responsive to a trigger/input from a user in distress, and the input could in the form of a button press or a predetermined gesture or any other convenient mode of communication. However, such emergency response systems are restricted by the limited communication range that they are provided with. For instance, the emergency response system would communicate with the base unit only if the base unit is within a predetermined range of the emergency response system, and if the emergency response system is beyond the operational range of the base unit, then the emergency response system would not be able to communicate with the base unit.
Further, several attempts have been previously made towards solving the disadvantages mentioned hitherto, and one such attempt has been described in a prior art U.S. Pat. No. 8,249,547 which discloses a wearable member attached to the body of the wearer and also encased with a separate mobile phone member. The wearable member included a transmitter that was configured to be actuated by a user wearing the wearable member for transmitting a message to the mobile phone member. Subsequently, the mobile phone member transmits the information/data received from the transmitter, to a remote member for further action. The disadvantage associated with the aforementioned wearable member is that it requires a GPS module which is bulky and requires to be connected all the time to a power source.
Yet another prior art European Patent Application No. 2407942 which discloses a personal security alarm system comprising a lid and a lock mechanism, with the lock mechanism operable in three modes including a detached mode, normal mode and elongated mode. The security alarm system teaches generating a ‘broken bracelet alarm signal’, when the lock mechanism is brought to the detached mode by use of resistance. The security alarm system generates an SMS alert to a central station and also tracks the movement and position of the lock mechanism, until the lock mechanism remains in the detached mode. The disadvantage associated with the aforementioned European patent application is that the personal security alarm system envisaged therein is a specifically designed/customized bracelet configured to function as a safety system, and that it does not involve transformation of a wrist watch into a personal safely device.
Further, US Patent Application No. 20130331058 discloses an emergency alert device adapted to be worn by a user and adapted to automatically make a cellular phone call to an emergency services center upon activation by a user. The device automatically transmits its current location—derived from GPS, via a text message to the emergency service center. U.S. Pat. No. 8,116,724 discloses a safety system comprising a plurality of wearable transceiver devices to be used with either a landline-based phone or a ceil phone to establish contact between a user of a wearable transceiver device and a central monitoring station. U.S. Pat. No. 7,015,817 discloses a wearable device worn by an individual and a portable device operatively coupled to the wearable device. The portable device is operatively coupled to a monitoring system through a wireless telephone network. The portable device transmits periodically encrypted location information as well as status information across the wireless network to the monitoring system. The monitoring system tracks the location of the individual and alerts the appropriate authorities when the individual violates a rule/precondition. The disadvantage associated with the aforementioned patent documents is that the devices envisaged therein do not communicate with the emergency service center/central monitoring station, without pairing.
Therefore, in view of the disadvantages mentioned hitherto, there was felt a need for a personal safely device that is cost effective. There was also felt a need for an add-on module that is capable of transforming a common place wrist watch into a personal safety device without necessitating significant technological modifications. There was also felt a need for a personal safety system that communicates with a remote server via a communication network accessible through a telecommunication device, without necessitating a pairing between the personal safety system and the communication system.
The abovementioned shortcomings, disadvantages and problems are addressed herein and which will be understood by reading and studying the following specification.